Acquiring good knives, you need to immediately think about their quality sharpening, which even the most professional blades need. Professional knife sharpeners can restore the sharpness of the blades as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Classification of professional knife sharpeners
All sharpeners can be divided into two large categories - electrical and mechanical. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, which you need to have an idea, going for a purchase.
Electric professional knife sharpers are very efficient and therefore most often used in catering establishments - in cafes, restaurants, etc. Sharpening of knives with their help occurs quickly and without special physical efforts from the user.
There are electric knife sharpeners with single and double sided sharpening, designed to work with Asian and European knives. In addition, some models perform grinding in 2 or 3 stages.
The best electric sharpeners are such brand models as the Work Sharp Knife & Tool Sharpener WSKTS-I and Work Sharp Knife & Tool Sharpener WSKTS-KO-I, as well as the professional American knife sharpener Chef's Choice.
As for mechanical professional sharpeners, they work more slowly and are recommended to users without much experience in working with similar tools. A big plus of such sharpeners is autonomy and mobility. They can be easily taken with them to nature, cottage and any other place.
In addition, since most professional knives from Eastern countries do not fit the electric tweezers, you will definitely need a professional sharpener for Japanese knives . This is because the blades are made of very strong steel, and they require sharpening at a certain angle. The use of the electric sharpener often leads to disruption of the blade blade.
As a rule, mechanical knife sharpeners are equipped with a convenient for storage and transportation case. The best professional knife sharpers in this category are Edge Pro Apex 4, Chef's Choice, Lansky Deluxe Knife Sharpening System LNLKCLX and Aligner ™ ProKit DMT A-PROKIT.
Tips for sharpening knives and rules for handling sharpeners
If the manual (mechanical) sharpening is more or less clear, then to work with electric sharpener you need some knowledge and skills. If some basic rules and recommendations are followed, it will be quite easy to work on sharpening knives.
First of all, the knife to the abrasive should be applied as accurately as possible, without any distortion. If the equipment is of a dry type, it is necessary to periodically moisten the stone with water to prevent overheating of the stone, which can lead to breakage of the machine.
It is advisable at work to avoid large revolutions, not seeking to speed sharpening, and following the correctness of its implementation. It is extremely important to be able to correctly set the correct angle of sharpening and stop the grinding of the blade in time (immediately after the uniform burr formation). Finish work on the grinding wheel or manually.
Do not forget about the elementary rules of using sharpeners. Use them only for their intended purpose and in accordance with the requirements prescribed in the operating instructions. Do not drop and hit the sharpener, overload it and allow contamination of its work surface.
Protect the appliance from moisture and wipe it with water and other liquid. Before switching on the device, make sure that it is switched off. Do not allow children and people who do not have the skills to work with him. Do not leave the device switched on unnecessarily and do not exceed the maximum permissible duration of its operation.